Why the 6.5 caliber?

[rustyshackleford]

6.5 is popular because is the bore anyone can shoot and it still has big boy BC. I have heard claims of it being more efficient, with regard to powder consumption and BC, but that's mostly statistical garbage. Proper bullet selection and powder selection takes care of that. Ultimately with bigger bores you still get a higher BC but you also get significantly more recoil.

I think the 6.5 is a good bore, and the 6.5 CM is a versatile cartridge. However, I also think the hype around it has blinded people to the fact that the majority of the performance gains are due to projectile technology, and that same technology can be had in nearly any other cartridge.

 

[RetiredSniper]

6.5 bullets vs 270,284,308. Why has the 6.5 taken off and if you believe the hype - taken over? I have been sucked into the hype with one 6.5 PRC with a second to follow. Is it just bullet type and availability? The 270 bullets just can't keep up because they don't exist yet? The 284 must be heavy for caliber like the 308 to compete with the 6.5? Why why why is the 6.5 the new "King"?
Just wondering....

6.5 is not king in my book! As I was told by a real Gunsmith and long range shooter, "the 6.5 does not have the weight and girth to to kill large game at longer ranges." I will stick with my 308 (7.62X51) which I have been shooting since I was in the Army in 1969. With the right bullet (168 grain Hornady B.T.S.P.H.P.) and the right powder you can take large game out to 900 meters.

 

[slas]

It's just another tool in the toolbox......6.5, 264, 30 cal, 7mm, etc. Grab the one you're most comfortable with and is best for the job.

 

[Garou_22]

A 1994 Rem700 Classic 6.5x55 Swede was my first hunting rifle given to me for my 16th birthday by my father circa 1995. I've been reloading that rifle since. Americans are fairly thick-headed in adopting calibers not primarily designed in country would be the main reason. For instance, head North and you'll find .303Brits a dime-a-dozen which are actually .311 caliber. Go East across a little pond called the Atlantic & all manner of interesting cartridges abound, the 6.5x55 Swede being one of the most popular. Of the 260, Creed, and Swede, I'll take the Swede simply for the ability to load any bullet to any seat depth I want without having to modify a **** thing to fit COAL in the magazine. The 140gr Berger seated at .005 off lands still has 1/4" of space in my mag well for instance. And 44.4gr of Viht N-160 gives me 2650fps, a medium charge for my modern action as 2800fps is doable, so velocities are negligible between the three. But, as stated earlier, Hornady has done a spectacular job promoting the Creed, Remington is notoriously horrible with their cartridge advertising, and if it's not American, we tend to pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Ckgworks]

I remember when the question being asked was "Why is the 6.5 NOT popular in the USA".....Americans don't like metric calibers, No rifles except old Mausers, it isn't 30 cal, etc... were the common answers of the past. Most of these articles touted the high SD, high BC caliber, that had low recoil and "penetrated better than it should". I think Hornady capitalized on the 6.5 by introducing a 6.5 with correct twist and factory ammo matched to a chamber design. I can't think of any other cartridge that has more accurate off the shelf ammo options. It was "new" in the eyes of the next generation of shooters, and the combination made darn near everyone a sub MOA shooter. Other manufacturers saw the success and jumped on board......the rest will be history. I think all generations will have "their" caliber or cartridge!

Personally, I fell for a picture of a 6.5x55 with a round nose 160 gr missile poking out the front and after having and shooting that for awhile it lead to a 260 and 6.5 grendel.....there not magical but I sure enjoy using them and for whatever reason the get shot the most.

 

[kwcoop]

My son was a pretty decent shot with my old .308 but was right down amazing with the 6.5, he is of slighter build and the recoil of the 6.5 just gave him confidence to hold and squeeze and not get hammered, plus now he is the one dragging me to shoot more often.

 

[SavageHunter11]

6.5 bullets vs 270,284,308. Why has the 6.5 taken off and if you believe the hype - taken over? I have been sucked into the hype with one 6.5 PRC with a second to follow. Is it just bullet type and availability? The 270 bullets just can't keep up because they don't exist yet? The 284 must be heavy for caliber like the 308 to compete with the 6.5? Why why why is the 6.5 the new "King"?
Just wondering....

So I here is why I think the 6.5mm has taken off in recent years. Newer shooters aren't the same shooters of 10 years ago where the more recoil you can handle the more a man you are. Newer shooters want a light recoiling rifle, so obviously the short action cartridges are the best choice for a light recoiling rifle. We all know the book from growing up (or maybe it's just me) If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, well if you give a new shooter a light recoiling rifle they're going to want high ballistic coefficients and high muzzle velocities to go with it.

I can shove a 205gr 30 caliber bullet with nice and high BC's down the pipe of a 308 Winchester but I have garbage velocity but with the 6.5mm bullet in the short action platform I get the most bang for my buck in high velocity (2800+ FPS) and high BC (.500+ G1) than I would with about any other caliber for the action length while still having enough energy and bullet weight to dispatch mule deer sized game.

The 6.5mm caliber just seems to be a sweet spot for the short action cartridge, just like the 7mm seems to be a sweet spot for the long action (thus the rising popularity in 280 A.I.), and 30 caliber seems to be the sweet-spot for magnum sized cartridges. This is all just my opinions and observations though.

 

[Mc Fraser]

6.5 bullets vs 270,284,308. Why has the 6.5 taken off and if you believe the hype - taken over? I have been sucked into the hype with one 6.5 PRC with a second to follow. Is it just bullet type and availability? The 270 bullets just can't keep up because they don't exist yet? The 284 must be heavy for caliber like the 308 to compete with the 6.5? Why why why is the 6.5 the new "King"?
Just wondering....

I like this video

 

[5gauss]

6.5 bullets vs 270,284,308. Why has the 6.5 taken off and if you believe the hype - taken over? I have been sucked into the hype with one 6.5 PRC with a second to follow. Is it just bullet type and availability? The 270 bullets just can't keep up because they don't exist yet? The 284 must be heavy for caliber like the 308 to compete with the 6.5? Why why why is the 6.5 the new "King"?
Just wondering....

So many calibers why not another...marketing mainly..everyone want the latest greatest etc and so what. You have choices and more choices for whatever you want to do. 6.5 has it's place along with many others. I will always use the best caliber for the game hunted. Targets are a whole other ballgame. Fun for young and old...

 

[5gauss]

So I here is why I think the 6.5mm has taken off in recent years. Newer shooters aren't the same shooters of 10 years ago where the more recoil you can handle the more a man you are. Newer shooters want a light recoiling rifle, so obviously the short action cartridges are the best choice for a light recoiling rifle. We all know the (or maybe it's just me) If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, well if you give a new shooter a light recoiling rifle they're going to want high ballistic coefficients and high muzzle velocities to go with it.

I can shove a 205gr 30 caliber bullet with nice and high BC's down the pipe of a 308 Winchester but I have garbage velocity but with the 6.5mm bullet in the short action platform I get the most bang for my buck in high velocity (2800+ FPS) and high BC (.500+ G1) than I would with about any other caliber for the action length while still having enough energy and bullet weight to dispatch mule deer sized game.

The 6.5mm caliber just seems to be a sweet spot for the short action cartridge, just like the 7mm seems to be a sweet spot for the long action (thus the rising popularity in 280 A.I.), and 30 caliber seems to be the sweet-spot for magnum sized cartridges. This is all just my opinions and observations though.

would only use 6.5 for Deer and smaller.....just my ethics....

 

[SavageHunter11]

would only use 6.5 for Deer and smaller.....just my *Rule 1 Violation*s....

Pretty sure that exactly what I said? I'm confused. I also have no idea what you mean by "Rule 1 violation"

 

[olyeller]

Remington should have hired people like Hornady's PR crew years ago and they wold still be great like they used to be.

6.5, .277, 7MM (remember when it was King?), .308, etc etc.
It's just the Flavor of the Koolade. Shoot what you like and can shoot well and don't ask it to do more than it can.

 

[Alibiiv]

6.5 bullets vs 270,284,308. Why has the 6.5 taken off and if you believe the hype - taken over? I have been sucked into the hype with one 6.5 PRC with a second to follow. Is it just bullet type and availability? The 270 bullets just can't keep up because they don't exist yet? The 284 must be heavy for caliber like the 308 to compete with the 6.5? Why why why is the 6.5 the new "King"?
Just wondering....

Only for some of us it's the "KING", some of us did not drink their Koolade!! A few years ago before the marketing hype that ".280 Ackley Improved" was the do all, 5000 yard, anti-tank round that would stop marauding missiles in the sky! Now it's the 6.5 Creedmoor, or something that is "6.5. In a year or two the ".270" caliber will be the new go to round; and......there WILL be bullets manufactured for it. The "new" straight-walled cartridge being lauded is the ".350 Legend", lord knows there are much better rounds out there then this one, but......it's something being promoted to sell ammunition and guns. I'm a fan of the .270 caliber, and for me it will always be what I need for the game, my shooting capabilities, and the distances that I intend to hunt at. Is the .270 the only round to meet what my hunting needs are, no there certainly are others, but this is my choice. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the "6.5" calibers, just stating that there are others that are just as good, especially when one puts "application" into the equation!!

 

[Gibbshooter43]

I started with the old 7 x 57 in an old military action which I bedded in a stock that was given to me by a friend. My first bought gun was a 6.5 x 55 because it had been working for so long. My first new gun was a 260 which I'm still shooting today. Better bullets have made longer range accuracy possible. Now I'm glad to see the same technology being applied to better 25 caliber bullets for use in my 25:06AI.